Sports
Basketball

When Brianna Mandolesi rejoined the Algoma U. Thunderbirds late in the schedule she just wanted a chance to play competitive basketball again.

She didn't realize she'd find herself in the hunt for a provincial championship.

“I was just coming in for fun, just to play, but now we're looking for the gold,” said the 22-year-old forward.

The Thunderbirds have two more days of practice this week before the team get on a bus Wednesday morning for Humber College and this year's Ontario Colleges Athletic Association championship tournament.

They go in having tied for first in the West Division with a record of 16-2, the same as Fanshawe though the Thunderbirds will be ranked below the Falcons at the OCAAs based on their record against second-place Humber.

First up for Algoma U. will be Seneca College, who finished with a 11-7 record in the regular season to place third in the Eastern Division behind Algonquin and St. Lawrence.

This is the Algoma U. team's second straight trip to the OCAAs. Last year was a first for the squad, and head coach Ryan Vetrie said he thinks that experience is going to pay dividends.

That's despite a young team that has only three returning players this year.

“This year I'm going to be able to pass on my experience, the returning players are going to be able to pass on their experience to our younger girls. It's going to be a better mental state I think going into the OCAA's this year,” said Vetrie.

Last year, the team dropped its first game against George Brown College, despite high hopes going in. Mandolesi said having that experience should help when they face Seneca on Thursday in a must-win situation.

“Our nerves got the best of us, I think, when we first showed up,” last year said the St. Mary's College grad.

She said she thinks the team will be better prepared to play on its own terms this time around.

Mandolesi, an accounting and human resources student, will back at school next year but without the required credits to play varsity sports. She averaged 8.6 points in the nine games she's played this season and she said she's looking forward to a final shot at gold.

“We tried our hardest (last year), but we knew for sure we were capable of more,” she said.

Mandolesi, who has been with the Thunderbirds for three seasons, is joined by team captain Amanda Orr and top scorer Corina Bruni as the team's three returning players. Vetrie said that experience has helped the team all year and will be an asset at the OCAAs.

“It's been a whole team effort with our girls this year with our young girls buying in and our veterans being leaders,” he said.

Vetrie said the game plan starting Thursday is to concentrate on what the team has done all year, which is “Play good defence and just focus on one game at a time.”